Seaman board to renew superintendent Steve Noble’s contract

The board discussed the matter in executive session and said afterward they plan on extending his employment, but the contract language needs to be finalized in writing.

In other news, the school board voted to publish a notice online seeking bids from marketing companies after hearing a presentation from ASA Strategic Funding.

Board member Rich Eckert raised concerns about plans to vote on contracting with ASA in March. Eckert said the district should first post a notice seeking other bids for comparison. District administrators said they are unaware of other companies that offer comparable services.

ASA is a marketing firm that works with school districts to bring in revenue through facility naming rights and advertising placements.

Separately, the Unified School District 345 board is expected to vote next month on creating a summer internship program that would start this summer.

The option would allow incoming seniors to earn a half credit by interning at a local business. Students already have internship options during the school year, but the summer option will help those who can’t fit internships into their schedules during the academic year.

It will also allow students to stay at their internship locations for longer blocks of time than is possible in the fall and spring because of class schedules.

Also discussed at Monday’s board meeting:

—Two Seaman High students have been named National Merit Scholarship finalists — Stone Brackett and Madison Sandall.

The annual Seaman Education Advantage Foundation banquet will be held on Wednesday, Feb. 22 at 6:30 p.m. in the Seaman Middle School Commons and will feature the superintendent’s State of the District address and recognition of scholarship and grant winners.

West Indianola Elementary principal Sherry Helus is resigning, effective June 2. Danira Fernandez-Flores has been hired as assistant principal of Seaman High, effective for the 2017-18 school year.

The district brought cost estimates to the board related to the proposed expansion of early childhood education services. Renovating Mathes Learning Center would cost an estimated $2.1 million. To increase the district’s early childhood education capacity to serve up to 300 students, the district would need to find $136,000 in its budget annually for operational costs. Total operational costs would be about half a million, but revenue would cover most of it.

Next fall the district will roll out Career Cruising, a career-focused software, at the middle and high school level. Among other functions, the program is meant to help students and families make short and long-term schedule choices and other decisions based on the student’s career interests.